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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-01-08, Mem. St. Alphonsus Liquori, Bishop, Doctor of Church
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^
| 08-01-08
| New American Bible
Posted on 07/31/2008 10:23:07 PM PDT by Salvation
August 1, 2008
Jer 26:1-9
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,
son of Josiah, king of Judah,
this message came from the LORD:
Thus says the LORD:
Stand in the court of the house of the LORD
and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah
who come to worship in the house of the LORD;
whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.
Perhaps they will listen and turn back,
each from his evil way,
so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them
for their evil deeds.
Say to them: Thus says the LORD:
If you disobey me,
not living according to the law I placed before you
and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets,
whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them,
I will treat this house like Shiloh,
and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth
shall refer when cursing another.
Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people
heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.
When Jeremiah finished speaking
all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people,
the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,
“You must be put to death!
Why do you prophesy in the name of the LORD:
‘This house shall be like Shiloh,’ and
‘This city shall be desolate and deserted’?”
And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Ps 69:5, 8-10, 14
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Those outnumber the hairs of my head
who hate me without cause.
Too many for my strength
are they who wrongfully are my enemies.
Must I restore what I did not steal?
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Since for your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Mt 13:54-58
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter’s son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?”
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.”
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.
TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; saints
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1
posted on
07/31/2008 10:23:08 PM PDT
by
Salvation
To: nickcarraway; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; markomalley; ...
Alleluia Ping!
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Alleluia Ping List.
2
posted on
07/31/2008 10:24:50 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
3
posted on
07/31/2008 10:26:02 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: Salvation
The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]
August Devotion: The Immaculate Heart
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue. This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.
On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.
INVOCATIONS
O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.
Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."
Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.
Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII
IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
|
Sacred Heart Of Jesus
 |
|
Immaculate Heart of Mary
 |
The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations. The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.
This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?
How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?
— St. John Eudes
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
4
posted on
07/31/2008 10:29:31 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
AUGUST 2008
General:
That the human family may learn to respect God’s plan for the world and become ever more aware that Creation is God’s great gift.
Mission:
That the answer of the entire people of God to the common calling to holiness and mission may be promoted and fostered by means of careful discernment of charisms and constant commitment to spiritual and cultural formation
5
posted on
07/31/2008 10:30:17 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
From: Jeremiah 26:1-9
Jeremiah arraigned
[1] In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,
this word came from the Lord, [2] ”Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the
Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the
house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not
hold back a word. [3] It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil
way, that I may repent of the evil which I intend to do to them because of their
evil doings. [4] You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen
to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you, [5] and to heed the words
of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not
heeded, [6] then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a
curse for all the nations of the earth.’”
[7] The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking
these words in the house of the Lord. [5] And when Jeremiah had finished spea-
king all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the
priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall
die! [9] Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house
shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all
the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
26:1-45:4. The first part of the book was a lengthy collection of oracles, usually
in verse form, interspersed with narrative passages; this second part consists
largely of prose narratives. It is very likely that most of them were written down
by Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary, a person who was very close to him from the
year 605 on (cf. 32:12, 16; 36:4-20; 45:15 and the Introduction to this book).
They tell us about Jeremiah’s preaching and about the difficulties he encountered
in the fulfillment of his ministry. The entire account, only occasionally interrupted
by the inclusion of oracles, culminates in the so-called “Sufferings of Jeremiah”
(37:1-44:30), in which we are told in some detail about what Jeremiah underwent
in the period after the first deportation to Babylon, in 597. It was not only that
people misunderstood him; he was ill-treated by those still living in the land of
Judah and eventually, after the second conquest and deportation in the year 587,
he was forcibly taken to Egypt, where he died.
These pages describe his clashes — first with the people, priests and prophets
(26:1-29:32) and then with the kings who occupied the throne during those years
of turmoil (34:1-36:32). The episodes are not in chronological order, and they
derive from a number of separate collections of documents. One collection con-
tains narratives of events in the reign of Jehoiakim (chaps. 26; 35-36; and 45);
another, events in the time of Zedekiah (chaps. 27-29). In the centre of this part
comes what is called the “Book of Consolation” (30:1-33:26), highly poetic and
theological pages.
26:1-29:32. The connecting thread in the first section of prose accounts of the
life of Jeremiah is the prophet’s fidelity to the mission entrusted to him by the
Lord, despite ever-increasing opposition from his fellow citizens.
26:1-24. This chapter deals with the same incident in the temple that was nar-
rated in 7:1-8:3 (see note), and which occurred in 608 BC. It contains a sum-
mary of what the prophet said on that occasion, and people’s reactions to it (vv.
7-24). The religious life of the nation hinged on the temple, whose importance
had increased further as a result of Josiah’s recent reforms; but Jeremiah pro-
claims that the temple will be destroyed; it will he reduced to rubble, like the
old shrine at Shiloh (vv. 2-6). This prophecy so angered people, priests and pro-
phets that they called for Jeremiah’s death (vv. 7-9), but the authorities managed
to calm them down and Jeremiah escaped with his life (vv. 10-19), probably be-
cause his sincerity impressed the rulers: he was a man ready to risk his life in
order to be faithful to his prophetic mission. Although one cannot he sure where
the New Gate (v. 10) was, the rulers’ intervention clearly had a judicial character
to it, since legal proceedings took place at the city gates. The New Testament
contains clear echoes of this account — in the deliberations of the Sanhedrin on
what to do with Jesus after he was arrested (cf. Mt 26:5-68 and par.), in the sen-
tence handed down by Pilate (cf. Lk 23:22), and also in the account of the mar-
tyrdom of St Stephen (cf. Acts 6: 12—14).
This episode dramatically illustrates the sort of clashes that Jeremiah became
involved in when carrying out his mission from the Lord. He has harsh things to
say, and meets resistance from the people, who have even begun to think that
nothing that offends their sensibilities or contradicts their desires can come from
God. Even so, Jeremiah does not back down, for the Lord gives him the strength
to stay true to his calling (cf. 1:7-10).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
6
posted on
07/31/2008 10:32:29 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
From: Matthew 13:54-58
No One is a Prophet in His Own Country
[54] And coming to His (Jesus’) own country He taught them in their synagogue,
so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom
and these mighty works? [55] Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother
called Mary? And are not His brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
[56] And are not all His sisters with us? Where then did this Man get all this?”
[57] And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not
without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” [58] And He did
not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
53-58. The Nazarenes’ surprise is partly due to people’s difficulty in recognizing
anything exceptional and supernatural in those with whom they have been on fa-
miliar terms. Hence the saying, “No one is a prophet in his own country.” These
old neighbors were also jealous of Jesus. Where did He acquire this wisdom?
Why Him rather than us? They were unaware of the mystery of Jesus’ conception;
surprise and jealousy cause them to be shocked, to look down on Jesus and not
to believe in Him: “He came to His own home, and His own people received Him
not” (John 1:11).
“The carpenter’s son”: this is the only reference in the Gospel to St. Joseph’s
occupation (in Mark 6:3 Jesus Himself is described as a “carpenter”). Probably
in a town like Nazareth the carpenter was a general tradesman who could turn
his hand to jobs ranging from metalwork to making furniture or agricultural imple-
ments.
For an explanation of Jesus’ “brethren”, see the note on Matthew 12:46-47.
[The note of Matthew 12:46-47 states:
46-47. “Brethren”: ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and other languages had no special
words for different degrees of relationship, such as are found in more modern lan-
guages. In general, all those belonging to the same family, clan and even tribe
were “brethren”.
In the particular case we have here, we should bear in mind that Jesus had dif-
ferent kinds of relatives, in two groups—some on His mother’s side, others on St.
Joseph’s. Matthew 13:55-56 mentions, as living in Nazareth, James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas (”His brethren”) and elsewhere there is reference to Jesus’ “sis-
ters” (cf. Matthew 6:3). But in Matthew 27:56 we are told that James and Joseph
were sons of a Mary distinct from the Blessed Virgin, and that Simon and Judas
were not brothers of James and Joseph, but seemingly children of a brother of St.
Joseph.
Jesus, on the other hand, was known to everyone as “the son of Mary” (Mark
6:3) or “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55).
The Church has always maintained as absolutely certain that Jesus had no
brothers or sisters in the full meaning of the term: it is a dogma that Mary was
ever-Virgin (cf. note on Matthew 1:25).]
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
7
posted on
07/31/2008 10:33:17 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd
Mass Readings
| First reading |
Jeremiah 26:1 - 9 © |
At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘The Lord says this: Stand in the court of the Temple of the Lord. To all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the Temple of the Lord you must speak all the words I have commanded you to tell them; do not omit one syllable. Perhaps they will listen and each turn from his evil way: if so, I shall relent and not bring the disaster on them which I intended for their misdeeds. Say to them, “The Lord says this: If you will not listen to me by following my Law which I put before you, by paying attention to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send so persistently to you, without your ever listening to them, I will treat this Temple as I treated Shiloh, and make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth”.’
The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the Temple of the Lord. When Jeremiah had finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to all the people, the priests and prophets seized hold of him and said, ‘You shall die! Why have you made this prophecy in the name of the Lord, “This Temple will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, and uninhabited”?’ And the people were all crowding round Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord. |
| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 68 |
| Gospel |
Matthew 13:54 - 58 © |
| Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith. |
8
posted on
07/31/2008 10:35:57 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Friday, August 1, 2008
St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Memorial) |
First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:
|
Jeremiah 26:1-9
Psalm 69:5, 8-10, 14
Matthew 13:54-58
God is ready to heal those who sincerely wish to amend their lives, but cannot take pity on the obstinate sinner. The Lord pardons sins, but He cannot pardon those who are determined to offend Him. He who receives pardon is pardoned through the pure mercy of God, and they who are chastised, are justly punished. God is not obliged to wait for your repentance.. -- St. Alphonsus Liguori |
|
9
posted on
07/31/2008 10:38:42 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
|
The Angelus
|
|
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary . . .
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary . . .
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
|
10
posted on
07/31/2008 10:40:00 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
The best, the surest , and the most effective way of establishing everlasting peace on the face of the earth is through the great power of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament." -- Pope John Paul II
"Could you not watch one hour?" -- Mark 14:37
I am happy to testify that many young people are discovering the beauty of adoration, whether personal or in community. I invite priests to encourage youth groups in this, but also to accompany them to ensure that the forms of adoration are appropriate and dignified, with sufficient times for silence and listening to the word of God. In life today, which is often noisy and scattered, it is more important than ever to recover the capacity for interior silence and recollection: Eucharistic adoration permits one to do this not only within one's "I" but rather in the company of that "You" full of love who is Jesus Christ, "the God who is near us."
~Pope Benedict XVI
11
posted on
08/01/2008 8:41:03 AM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
12
posted on
08/01/2008 8:41:46 AM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm
Office of Readings
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 34 (35) |
| The Lord, a saviour in time of persecution |
Judge, Lord, those who are judging me: attack those who are attacking me.
Take up your shield and come out to defend me.
Brandish your spear and hold back my pursuers.
Say to my soul, “I am your deliverance”.
Let them be thrown into confusion, those who are after my life.
Let them be weakened and put to flight, those who plan harm to me.
Let them be like chaff blowing in the wind, when the angel of the Lord scatters them.
Let their paths be dark and slippery, when the angel of the Lord harries them.
For it was without cause that they spread out their nets to ensnare me, without cause that they dug a pit to take my life.
Let death come upon them suddenly, may they be entangled in their own nets.
But my soul will exult in the Lord and rejoice in his aid.
My bones themselves will say “Lord, who is your equal?”
You snatch the poor man from the hand of the strong,
the needy and weak from those who would destroy them.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Psalm 34 (35) |
Lying witnesses rose up against me; they asked me questions I could not answer.
They paid me back evil for the good I did, my soul is desolation.
Yet I – when they were ill, I put on sackcloth, I mortified my soul with fasting, I prayed for them from the depths of my heart.
I walked in sadness as for a close friend, for a brother; I was bowed down with grief as if mourning my own mother.
But they – when I was unsteady, they rejoiced and gathered together. They gathered and beat me: I did not know why.
They were tearing me to pieces, there was no end to it: they teased me, heaped derision on me, they ground their teeth at me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Psalm 34 (35) |
Lord, how long will you wait? Rescue my life from their attacks, my only life from the lions.
I will proclaim you in the great assembly, in the throng of people I will praise you.
Let not my lying enemies triumph over me, those who hate me for no reason,
who conspire against me by secret signs,
who do not speak of peace,
who plan crimes against the innocent,
who cry out slanders against me, saying “Yes! Yes! We saw it ourselves!”
You see them, Lord, do not stay silent: Lord, do not leave me.
Rise up and keep watch at my trial: my God and my Lord, watch over my case.
Judge me according to your justice, Lord: my God, let them not rejoice over me!
Let them not think to themselves, “Yes! We have what we wanted!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up”.
But let those who support my cause rejoice, let them say always “How great is the Lord, who takes care of his servant’s welfare”.
And my tongue too will ponder your justice, and praise you all day long.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Reading |
2 Corinthians 11:30 - 12:13 © |
If I am to boast, then let me boast of my own feebleness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus – bless him for ever – knows that I am not lying. When I was in Damascus, the ethnarch of King Aretas put guards round the city to catch me, and I had to be let down over the wall in a hamper, through a window, in order to escape.
Must I go on boasting, though there is nothing to be gained by it? But I will move on to the visions and revelations I have had from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago, was caught up whether still in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows-right into the third heaven. I do know, however, that this same person – whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows – was caught up into paradise and heard things which must not and cannot be put into human language. I will boast about a man like that, but not about anything of my own except my weaknesses. If I should decide to boast, I should not be made to look foolish, because I should only be speaking the truth; but I am not going to, in case anyone should begin to think I am better than he can actually see and hear me to be.
In view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, ‘My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness.’ So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.
I have been talking like a fool, but you forced me to do it: you are the ones who should have been commending me. Though I am a nobody, there is not a thing these arch-apostles have that I do not have as well. You have seen done among you all the things that mark the true apostle, unfailingly produced: the signs, the marvels, the miracles. Is there anything of which you have had less than the other churches have had, except that I have not myself been a burden on you? For this unfairness, please forgive me. |
| Reading |
From a sermon by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop |
| On the love of Christ |
All holiness and perfection of soul lies in our love for Jesus Christ our God, who is our Redeemer and our supreme good. It is part of the love of God to acquire and to nurture all the virtues which make a man perfect.
Has not God in fact won for himself a claim on all our love? From all eternity he has loved us. And it is in this vein that he speaks to us: “O man, consider carefully that I first loved you. You had not yet appeared in the light of day, nor did the world yet exist, but already I loved you. From all eternity I have loved you”.
Since God knew that man is enticed by favours, he wished to bind him to his love by means of his gifts: “I want to catch men with the snares, those chains of love in which they allow themselves to be entrapped, so that they will love me”. And all the gifts which he bestowed on man were given to this end. He gave him a soul, made in his likeness, and endowed with memory, intellect and will; he gave him a body equipped with the senses; it was for him that he created heaven and earth and such an abundance of things. He made all these things out of love for man, so that all creation might serve man, and man in turn might love God out of gratitude for so many gifts.
But he did not wish to give us only beautiful creatures; the truth is that to win for himself our love, he went so far as to bestow upon us the fullness of himself. The eternal Father went so far as to give us his only Son. When he saw that we were all dead through sin and deprived of his grace, what did he do? Compelled, as the Apostle says, by the superabundance of his love for us, he sent his beloved Son to make reparation for us and to call us back to a sinless life.
By giving us his Son, whom he did not spare precisely so that he might spare us, he bestowed on us at once every good: grace, love and heaven; for all these goods are certainly inferior to the Son: He who did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for all of us: how could he fail to give us along with his Son all good things? |
| Concluding Prayer |
O God, you are the protection of all who trust in you, for without you nothing is holy, nothing strong.
Guide us and lead us with ever-increasing compassion.
Make us make such use of the good things that pass away
that we may share, even now, in the good things that endure.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen. |
13
posted on
08/01/2008 8:33:02 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
St. Alphonsus Liguori
Saint Alphonsus Liguori,
Bishop & Doctor of the Church
Memorial
August 1st
"Copiosa apud eum redemptio"
"With Him there is Plentiful Redemption"
History:
Born September 27, 1696.
Ordained a priest on December 21, 1726
Founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorist) in 1732.
Died at Nocera de' Pagani, August 1, 1787.
Canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI.
Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871.
Patron of Confessors and Moral Theologians.
Collect:
Father,
you constantly build up your Church
by the lives of your saints.
Give us the grace to follow St. Alphonsus
in his loving concern for the salvation of men,
and so come to share his reward in heaven.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen
First Reading: Romans 8:1-4
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:13-19
"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
14
posted on
08/01/2008 8:42:34 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
My Jesus, I believe that Thou art truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love Thee above all things, and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace Thee as being already there, and unite myself wholly to Thee; never permit me to be separated from Thee.
St. Alphonsus Liguori
15
posted on
08/01/2008 8:47:46 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Catholic Culture
Collect: Father, you constantly build up your Church by the lives of your saints. Give us the grace to follow St. Alphonsus in his loving concern for the salvation of men, and so come to share his reward in heaven. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
« August 01, 2008 »
- RECIPES
- ACTIVITIES
- PRAYERS
St. Alphonsus de Liguori was a great preacher of the Gospel to the poor. His charity and apostolic spirit led him to found the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer to carry on this work. He sent his Redemptorists, as our Lord did the Apostles, into the countryside and the market towns and villages, to announce the Kingdom of God. He became Bishop of Sant' Agata dei Goti, near Naples, and died at the age of ninety, in 1787. For his great works on Moral Theology he has been declared a Doctor of the Church.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Peter's Chains. It celebrates the dedication of the basilica of St. Peter ad Vincula in Rome which was built in about 432 on the Esquiline Hill in Rome and consecrated on August 1. It is also the commemoration of the Holy Machabees. The seven Machabees were brothers martyred with their mother under Antiochus Epiphanes in about the year 150 before Christ. There is an account of their wonderful death in the Old Testament. Their relics venerated at Antioch in the time of St. Jerome, were translated to Rome in the sixth century, to the church of St. Peter's Chains.
St. Alphonsus Liguori
Alphonsus Liguori, born in 1696, was the son of an ancient Neapolitan family, his father an officer in the Royal Navy. At the age of sixteen, Alphonsus received his doctorate in both canon and civil law and for nearly ten years practiced at the bar. When he found that one of the legal cases he was defending was not based on justice but on political intrigue, he gave up the practice of law and dedicated his life to God.
Ordained to the priesthood in 1726, St. Alphonsus Liguori joined a group of secular priests dedicated to missionary activities. He involved himself in many kinds of pastoral activities, giving missions and organizing workers, and had a part in the founding of an order of contemplative nuns.
In 1732, he founded the Redemptorists, a congregation of priests and brothers, to work especially among the country people of Italy who often lacked the opportunity for missions, religious instruction, and spiritual retreats. Strangely, his first companions deserted him; but Alphonsus stood firm, and soon vocations multiplied and the congregation grew.
The Redemptorists were approved by Pope Benedict XIV in 1749, and Alphonsus was elected superior general. In 1762, he was appointed bishop of Sant' Agata dei God and as bishop he corrected abuses, restored churches, reformed seminaries, and promoted missions throughout his diocese. During the famine of 1763-64, his charity and generosity were boundless, and he also carried on a huge campaign of religious writing.
In 1768, he was stricken with a painful illness and resigned his bishopric. During the last years of his life, problems in his congregation caused him much sorrow and when he died on August 1, 1787, at Pagani, near Salerno, the Redemptorists were a divided society. He was beatified in 1816, canonized in 1839, and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871.
Excerpted from the The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens.
Patron: Confessors; final perseverance; theologians; vocations.
Things to Do:
St. Peter's Chains
There in some controversy as to whether St. Peter's chains were brought from Jerusalem by Eudoxia in 439, or by some travellers sent to the East in search of them by the martyr St. Balbina and her father, St. Quirinus, in 116. Gerbet defends the latter opinion and says St. Balbina gave them to Theodora, sister of St. Hermes, martyr, Prefect of Rome, from whom they passed into the hands of Pope St. Alexander I (108-117). St. Bede the Venerable, writing in the seventh century, speaks of the chains in connection with St. Balbina and St. Alexander.
Such was the reverence paid to these chains in the fifth and sixth centuries, that filings of them were considered precious relics suitable for kings and patriarchs, these filings being usually enclosed in a gold cross or key. Such a relic was sent by Pope St. Hormisdas to the Emperor Justinian; by St. Gregory to King Childebert, to Theoctista, sister of the Emperor Mauritius, to Anastasius, Patriarch of Antioch, and others; by Pope Vitalian to Oswy of Northumbria; by St. Leo III to Charlemagne; by St. Gregory VII to Alphonsus, King of Castile. These crosses and keys were often worn round the neck as a preservative against dangers, spiritual and temporal.
St. John Chrysostom's words on St. Paul's chains apply equally to St. Peter's: "No glittering diadem so adorns the head as a chain borne for Christ. Were the choice offered me either of heaven or of this chain (suffered for Christ), I would take the chain. If I might have stood with the angels above, near the throne of God, or have been bound with Paul, I should have preferred the dungeon. Had you rather have been the angel loosing Peter, or Peter in chains? I would rather have been Peter. This gift of chains is something greater than power to stop the sun, to move the world, or to command the devils" (Homil. 8, in Ephes iii. I.).
Excerpted from Pilgrim Walks in Rome by P.J. Chandlery S.J.
This day still is known in English-speaking countries as Lammas Day, or loaf-mass day. This was the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year, on which day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop.
In many parts of England, tenants were bound to present freshly harvested wheat to their landlords on or before the first day of August. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it is referred to regularly, it is called "the feast of first fruits." The blessing of new fruits was performed annually in both the Eastern and Western Churches on the first, or alternately the sixth (Transfiguration), of August. The Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I (d. 604) specifies the sixth.
Excerpted from The Stations of the Sun, Ronald Hutton, Oxford 1996
Holy Machabees
The seven Machabean brothers, together with their mother, were martyred about the year 164 B.C. by King Antiochus Epiphanes. The mother in particular deserves to be admired for the heroic fortitude with which she encouraged her children to suffer and die. Their remains were venerated at Antioch. After the church which was built above their resting-place was destroyed, they were taken to Rome; during the renovation of the high altar of St. Peter in Chains (1876), a sarcophagus dating from the fourth or fifth century was found; lead tablets related the relics to those of the Machabean martyrs and their mother. Seldom does it happen that the Roman Church venerates Old Testament saints in the Mass and Office; it is much more common in the Greek rite. Martyrdom before the advent of Christ was possible only through faith and hope in Christ. Today's feast is among the oldest in the sanctoral cycle. In the second Book of Machabees, sacred Scripture recounts the passion and death of the Machabees in a very edifying manner. St. Gregory Nazianz discusses why Christians honor these Old Testament saints: "They deserve to be universally venerated because they showed themselves courageous and steadfastly loyal to the laws and traditions of their fathers. For if already before the passion of Christ they suffered death as martyrs, what heroism would they have shown if they had suffered after Christ and with the death of the Lord as a model? A further point. To me and to all who love God it is highly probable that according to a mystic and hidden logic no one who endured martyrdom before the advent of Christ was able to do so without faith in Christ."
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
16
posted on
08/01/2008 8:58:37 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Doctors of the Catholic Church
|
Saint Alphonsus' views on morality and the Mother of God are unmatched in history. His gifts to the church are singular and unique. His writings on St Mary are masterpieces and include The Glories of Mary . This brilliant lawyer-theologian-priest insights into God's law are clear and precise for us.
Father Liguori is the Marian and Morality Doctor of the Church. No other doctor wrote more books or was more particular in his devotion to our Lord and his Blessed Mother. He lived to be the oldest doctor and his books cover many subjects including the Blessed Sacrament, and The Early Martyrs of the Church. Some of his significant theological writings are listed in the Dogmatic Constitutions of the Catholic Church from the Councils.
Before Liguori established the Redemptorist Order, that is a great pillar and mainstay of the church, he practiced law in Italy. It was his custom to attend the holy sacrifice of the mass before he went into the courts. He is best known for his moral theology, but he also wrote well in the field of spiritual and dogmatic theology.
He was afficted with rheumatic pains at 71 but lived another 20 years in severe pain. He suffered from scruples, fears, temptations and against every article of faith and every virtue and was a superb Christian model for all.
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St Alphonsus, 1696-1787. Marian and Morality Doctor, Feast Aug 1st. |
17
posted on
08/01/2008 9:05:45 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Lauds -- Morning Prayer
Morning Prayer (Lauds)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 50 (51) |
| God, have mercy on me |
Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy; in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.
Wash me ever more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know how guilty I am: my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone have I sinned, and I have done evil in your sight.
Know this, so that you may give just sentence and an unbiased judgement.
See, I was conceived in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me;
but you love truth in the heart, and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom.
You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean; you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed will rejoice.
Turn your face away from my sins and wipe out all my transgressions;
create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me.
Do not send me away from your presence, or withdraw your holy spirit from me;
give me again the joy of your salvation, and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit.
I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will return to you.
Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour, and my voice will glory in your justice.
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise;
for you do not delight in sacrifices: if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you.
The true sacrifice is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.
Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Sion, so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt,
Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings; then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Canticle |
Isaiah 45 |
| All peoples, turn to the Lord |
In truth you are a hidden God, the God and Saviour of Israel.
They were dismayed and ashamed, all the makers of idols, all of them fled in dismay.
Israel has been saved by the Lord, saved for ever; you will not be dismayed or ashamed, to the end of time.
For thus says the Lord, the God who made the heavens, who made the earth, shaped it, set it firm – he did not make it to be empty, but to be full of life – “I am the Lord, there is no other.
“I have not spoken secretly, in some dark corner of the earth. I have not said to the children of Jacob, ‘seek me in vain’. I am the Lord who speaks justice, who proclaims uprightness.
“Gather together, come, approach me all of you who have been rescued from the Gentiles.
They were ignorant, who raised up wooden idols and begged favours of a god without power.
Announce it – come, ponder it together – who was saying this from the beginning, who foretold this from the start?
Am I not the Lord? Is there any other God but me?
Do you seek a just God who will save you? There is no other.
“Turn to me and you will be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, there is no other.
“I have sworn by my own being, I have decreed a judgement that will not be revoked; for every knee will bend to me, every tongue swear by my name.”
“Only in the Lord,” they will say, “are there justice and strength!”
All who resisted him will come to him, and be dismayed; but in the Lord all descendants of Israel will receive justice and glory.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Psalm 99 (100) |
| Enter the Temple with joy |
Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth. Exult in his presence and serve him with joy.
Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his – his people, the sheep of his flock.
Cry out his praises as you enter his gates, fill his courtyards with songs. Proclaim him and bless his name;
for the Lord is our delight. His mercy lasts for ever, his faithfulness through all the ages.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Short reading |
Ephesians 4:29 - 32 © |
| Guard against foul talk; let your words be for the improvement of others, as occasion offers, and do good to your listeners, otherwise you will only be grieving the Holy Spirit of God who has marked you with his seal for you to be set free when the day comes. Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ. |
| Canticle |
Benedictus |
| The Messiah and his forerunner |
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Prayers and Intercessions |
? |
- We worship Christ, who by his cross brought salvation to the human race, and we pray to him:
- Lord, show us your compassion.- Christ, you are our daylight: shine on us this morning,
- and cleanse us of every evil inclination.
- Watch over what we think, what we say, and what we do,
- so that today we may be pleasing in your sight.
- Turn your face away from our sins,
- and wipe out all our transgressions.
- Through your cross and resurrection
- give us the strength of the Holy Spirit.
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Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. |
O God, your light dispels the darkness of ignorance of your word, morning, noon and night:
Increase in our hearts the faith that you have given us:
may no trials extinguish the fire lit by your grace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
18
posted on
08/01/2008 9:12:51 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Siamo Napoletani
Given that grace builds on nature, my Neapolitan ancestry may, in some way, account for my spiritual affinity with Saint Alphonsus Maria Liguori. For the long lazy days and hot nights of August I recommend a a fascinating biography of the saint: Alphonsus de Liguori, Saint of Bourbon Naples, by Frederick M. Jones, C.Ss.R.
Reparation Then and Now
Meditate the following text written by Saint Alphonsus Maria, and translated by Norman J. Muckermann, C.Ss.R. It is astonishingly relevant to the need for reparation in the wake of recent outrages against the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The Sorrowful Heart of Jesus
It is impossible for us to appreciate how greatly afflicted the Heart of Jesus was for love of us and at the same time not be filled with pity for Him. . . . The principal sorrow affecting the Heart of Jesus was not so much knowing the torments and insults His enemies were preparing for Him. Rather, it was seeing how ready we would be to reject His immense love.
Desecrations of the Sacred Host
Jesus distinctly saw all the sins which we would commit even after His sufferings, even after His bitter and ignominious death on the cross. He foresaw, too, the insults which sinners would offer His Sacred Heart which He would leave on earth in the Most Holy Sacrament as proof of His love. These insults are almost too horrible to mention: people trampling the sacred hosts underfoot, throwing them into gutters or piles of refuse, and even using them to worship the devil himself!
The Pledge of His Love
Even the knowledge that these and other defamations would happen did not prevent Jesus from giving us this great pledge of His love, the Holy Eucharist. Jesus has an infinite hatred for sin; yet it seems that His great love for us even overcomes this bitterness. Because of His love, He allows these sacrileges to happen in order not to deprive us of this Divine Food. Should not this alone suffice to make us love a Heart that has loved us so much?
Jesus Forsaken on the Altar
What more could Jesus do to deserve our love? Is our ingratitude so great that we will still leave Jesus forsaken on the altar, as so many are wont to do? Rather, should we not unite ourselves to those few who gather to praise Him and acknowledge His divine presence? Should we not melt with love, as do the candles which adorn the altars where the Holy Sacrament is preserved? There the Sacred Heart remains burning with love for us. Shall we not in turn burn with love for Jesus?
19
posted on
08/01/2008 9:16:34 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Regnum Christi
At a Crossroads
August 1, 2008 |
| U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY |
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A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.
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Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop. Memorial
Father Walter Schu, LC Matthew 13:54-58
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter´s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. Introductory Prayer: Lord, don’t ever become so familiar to me that I lose faith in you, like your fellow Nazarenes in today’s Gospel. Help me to deepen my faith in this time of prayer alone with you. May this time I spend with you be a sign of my love for you. Petition: Mary, help me to be an instrument of the new Pentecost Pope Benedict has called for in the Church in America. 1. At a Crossroads
Christ’s appearance in the synagogue of his native village was a crossroads for the people of Nazareth. They had heard of the miracles he had done throughout Palestine. Now, confronted with the Lord face-to-face and astonished by his preaching, they had either to step forward in faith, accepting him as the promised Messiah, or reject him. And they rejected him. For these small-town villagers, in the end he could be nothing more than just one of their own. The Church in America arrived at a crossroads with the apostolic visit of Christ’s vicar, Pope Benedict. How deeply will his message take root in the lives of Christians? In his homily at Nationals Stadium, the Holy Father boldly proclaimed: “Those who have hope must live different lives! (cf. Spe Salvi, 2) … The world needs this witness! Who can deny that the present moment is a crossroads, not only for the Church in America but also for society as a whole?” (April 17, 2008). 2. A New Pentecost through the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Pope Benedict’s message was nothing less than a call for a new Pentecost, a phrase he himself used in his homily at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “I have come to proclaim anew, as Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost, that Jesus Christ is Lord and Messiah, risen from the dead, seated in glory at the right hand of the Father, and established as judge of the living and the dead (cf. Acts 2:14ff.). I have come to repeat the Apostle’s urgent call to conversion and the forgiveness of sins, and to implore from the Lord a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church in this country” (Homily, Nationals Stadium, Washington, D.C., April 17, 2008). What is the key to being open to receive the Holy Spirit? It is conversion of heart and life, which comes through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Pope Benedict could not have stressed its key role more strongly. “Let us trust in the Spirit’s power to inspire conversion, to heal every wound, to overcome every division, and to inspire new life and freedom. How much we need these gifts! And how close at hand they are, particularly in the sacrament of Penance! The liberating power of this sacrament, in which our honest confession of sin is met by God’s merciful word of pardon and peace, needs to be rediscovered and reappropriated by every Catholic. To a great extent, the renewal of the Church in America and throughout the world depends on the renewal of the practice of Penance and the growth in holiness which that sacrament both inspires and accomplishes” (Ibid.) 3. Proclaiming Christ’s “Mighty Deeds”
What will be the fruit if we Catholics respond to the Holy Father’s appeal and make confession an integral part of our lives, receiving this transforming sacrament frequently? The result will be just the opposite of what happens in today’s sad Gospel. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we will boldly announce Christ’s mighty deeds to all those willing to hear. Pope Benedict concludes: “In every time and place, the Church is called to grow in unity through constant conversion to Christ, whose saving work is proclaimed by the Successors of the Apostles and celebrated in the sacraments. This unity, in turn, gives rise to an unceasing missionary outreach, as the Spirit spurs believers to proclaim ‘the great works of God’ and to invite all people to enter the community of those saved by the blood of Christ and granted new life in his Spirit” (Homily, Nationals Stadium, Washington, D.C., April 17, 2008). Conversation with Christ: Lord, I long to experience you personally in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. May the healing power of your forgiveness and your grace transform me into a convinced apostle of your Kingdom. Resolution: I will be open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in helping to bring someone closer to Christ today, doing my part to help establish Christ’s Kingdom and the new Pentecost. |
20
posted on
08/01/2008 9:36:49 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
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